The monument as seen in 2000. 

• The recently renovated and beautified Anglo-Sikh War Memorial at Aliwal village was inaugurated on Tuesday.
• The monument was built to commemorate the battle of Aliwal which took place in 1846
• The 150-year-old monument is also referred to as the Flame of Memory

Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar in the presence of Manpreet Singh Ayali inaugurated the memorial.The memorial, built in 1853 by the British in memory of the last Anglo-Sikh war. It was renovated with a cost of Rs 30 lakh. It was declared a protected monument in 1964 under the Punjab Ancient, Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites & Remains Act.

A library has also been constructed with the efforts of Dakha member of legislative assembly (MLA) Manpreet Singh Ayali at this place, where more than 10,000 Sikhs were martyred during the first Anglo-Sikh war.

Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee , Avtar Singh Makkar in the presence of Manpreet Singh Ayali inaugurated the Anglo-Sikh war memorial

Addressing the gathering on this occasion, Ayali said, “This memorial has been constructed with a cost of Rs 30 lakh on half-acre land. This memorial has been constructed with ‘Chhoti Nanakshahi’ brick. A 55-feet high ‘Khanda’ has been installed there. In the library, several books on history, literature and religion have been kept.”

Ayali said, “Keeping in mind the religious significance of village, efforts are being made to upgrade Aliwal village. An amount of Rs 35 lakh has already been spent and more development works will be carried out with `10 lakh. The road connecting village with Hambran-Sidhwan Bet will be widened to 18 feet and trees will also be planted.”

Avtar Singh said, “The need of the hour is to take care of our buildings with historical significance. The Anglo-Sikh war held on January 28, 1846 and the renovation of this memorial are enough to bring village’s name on the world map.” Further grants were announced to rebuild the town and to populate the library with Sikh history books.

Orginally reported by Hindustan Times and edited by the SMI.